Field artillery includes guns and howitzers which are either towed or self-propelled. They are the main fire support weapons of the advancing infantry units on the front line. They do not include the heavy artillery pieces, for they have to be very mobile as they must be moved about across the battlefield at the same speed as tanks and other armored vehicles. In this way, they can be brought into or out of action easily.
Today, most armies are increasing the number of self-propelled howitzers and using them as their main artillery pieces for their mobile war, leaving behind the towed howitzers as reserve and to provide back-up concentration of fire to soften the terrain ahead of the infantry spearhead. Also, most self-propelled howitzers are fitted with an armored turret, in which the gun is mounted, to protect its crew.
Although most western nations' armies use the 155mm and the 105mm calibers for their howitzers, the Russian Ground Forces employs the 152mm and the 122mm. These modern artillery pieces can fire shells up to 15 and 24 km away, depending on the type of gun and ammunition. The longer the range a howitzer fire, the most quickly the gun barrel bore wears out as it has to be replaced. Any way, it is important that field artillery be able to fire quickly a number of shells in a short space of time. The purpose of a rapid rate of fire is to deprive the enemy of time to take cover.
Field artillery must also be accurate and be equipped with high-tech guidance system. In the modern warfare taking place in Ukraine, the Russian artillery units make good use of drones and satellite images to make correction and be accurate. They also has to be able to shoot in either direct fire mode, as when an enemy tank crop up on the horizon and has to be knocked out, and in indirect fire mode to attack massive concentration of enemy troops, with the howitzer shells falling from above.
Below, a Soviet 152mm howitzer used during World War II against the German Army.
